Ovens are used in many industrial processes of various types. One common use of an oven is for heat treatment of materials, such as the evaporation of water or a solvent from a manufactured component. The air in the oven is heated by a heater to convey thermal energy to the material. To remove evaporated water or solvent the air can be circulated into and out of the oven. This circulation can also provide an opportunity to add heat to the air in the oven, as energy is inherently lost in the thermal treatment. However, the circulation can also be a source of energy loss, for example when heated air is released into the ambient environment. To counter this heat loss, heat exchangers have been used in an effort to recuperate some of the energy that would otherwise be lost.
Historically, thermal processes of an industrial scale have often been powered by fossil fuels, which were relatively inexpensive. Until now it has therefore not been a significant priority to reduce thermal losses in industrial oven processes. However, modern factories are often designed to rely less on fossil fuels or to eliminate them entirely, instead using renewable energy sources, which may be costlier in the short term. Energy efficient industrial process will therefore become much more important.